Ted Warren's ruminations on teaching, playing, writing, and listening. And also pizza.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Practising

Hey folks,
i recently got an email on practice and I thought I would share a few thoughts.
I need to head out to a session soon, so this will be in point form.

1. Don't be afraid to sound bad
Many people perform rather than practice, meaning they play stuff they already know how to do. Try not to get seduced by this. It's mainly an ego thing. if you're trying to improve a beat or something, fine bur remember, if what you're doing sounds lousy now it means you're getting something together.

2. A little practice can go a long way.
Let's say you don't particularly enjoy practicing sight-reading (guilty!). You don't have to do it for hours and hours, just 5 to 10 minutes will make a huge difference.

3. There are many ways to practice.
If it's not working for you at the drum set this minute you could try a) Learning a tune, b) writing a tune, c) learning some scales and/or intervals. All these things will help you become a better player.

4. Try creating a schedule
This will help if you find yourself not knowing what to practice. This will help you target your weak areas. gave the schedule go over several days, if necessary.

5. Be "zoned in"
If you find it hard to concentrate, try small amounts of practice (10 minutes or so) at a time. It's far better to practice mindfully than to be thinking about your laundry. Also, don't stress about the quantity of time rather than the quality. As you get used to your practice regime, you will find you will be going past the 10 minute mark without thinking about it.

6. Take your time.
This is true in several ways. Don't feel you have to get through tons of material (that's the ego talking again.) Rather, try to get the most out of anything you are practicing. I used to zoom through books that I couldn't even remember a day later. Now, that was a waste of my time!
Also take your time in terms of tempo. Again, your ego wants to play everything fast to shop how heavy you are, but ignore it! let your body and mind assimilate what you want to do.